As part of RVA’s celebration of Befriending Week 2026, we are highlighting some of those who are making a difference in combating loneliness and social isolation, helping build connections and making Reading a friendlier place. The following article is based on an interview with Joan St Clair conducted by our Volunteering Development Manager and Ready Friends Coordinator, Steve Hendry. 

When Joan St Clair was approaching her 50th birthday, a conversation with her GP introduced her to something she knew very little about: menopause. Feeling overwhelmed by the diagnosis and struggling with symptoms, she began to understand just how isolating the experience could be.

Joan St Clair – Founder/Director
CHC Menopause Café CIC

Now, as a menopause coach and founder of Reading’s Community Health Champions (CHC) Menopause Café, Joan is helping other women find the understanding, friendship and support she wished she had.

“I never heard my mum use that word, I never heard my eldest sister talk about it, so it was a shock to me,” Joan recalls.

Her own experience inspired her to raise awareness, particularly among Black and Asian women, where cultural taboos can make conversations about menopause difficult. She initially established All Things Menopause, an online discussion group, but wanted to bring women together in person.

With support from community connections, she secured a space at Reading Central Library and opened the Menopause Café in October 2024.

It hasn’t always been easy. Joan has funded the café herself, and there were mornings in the early stages when she turned up and nobody came. But one encounter convinced her the work mattered.

A woman who had recently lost her son in an accident arrived with her husband, struggling with loss while also experiencing menopause. Joan was able to signpost her to bereavement counselling.

“That is what gave me the drive, even if it’s just one person who turns up, you’re making a difference.”

Two years on, the café has grown into much more than a place to talk about menopause. It offers a welcoming, non-judgemental space where women can share experiences, build friendships and discover they are not alone.

The Café recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary and is going from strength to strength.

There is no rigid programme. Conversations develop naturally, giving women the freedom to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. The group has also developed a WhatsApp community, helping members stay connected between meetings and check in on one another when times are difficult.

For Joan, the impact is visible in the friendships that have grown from these meetings. Some members have even enjoyed days out together, turning shared experiences into lasting connections.

“It’s creating that connection and that safe space,” she explains. “We’re creating conversation, we’re creating friendships.”

The café also connects women with wider community support, including health information and advice. Joan wants to ensure that women who might otherwise struggle to access services have somewhere approachable to turn.

Her ambition is to make the café sustainable and help it reach more women. Above all, she wants to keep breaking the silence around menopause and ensure that nobody feels they have to face it alone.

“We began by breaking the silence around menopause, but along the way, we discovered the power of bringing people together.”

For Joan, the real achievement is creating a community where women feel heard, supported and empowered to navigate menopause with greater understanding, confidence and connection

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CHC Menopause Café sessions are open to all women experiencing or approaching menopause. You do not need a referral, a diagnosis, or any prior knowledge of menopause. You simply need to want to come.

They warmly encourage women from all backgrounds and communities to attend, including women from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities, and women who have previously found it difficult to access menopause support.

Sessions are held every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month 10 am – 12 pm at Reading Central Library, Civic Centre, 19 Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU and are free to attend.